Chandigarh February 5: Haryana and Switzerland have agreed to share their expertise in the fields of skill training, tourism, dairying besides exploring the possibilities of signing MoUs for the teacher-student and cultural exchange programmes so as to further strengthen the bilateral ties between Switzerland and India particularly with Haryana.
Ambassador of Switzerland to India, Mr Ralf Heckner who called on Chief Minister; Mr Manohar Lal here today praised the State Government for providing a conducive atmosphere to the entrepreneurs in the State and evinced keen interest in making further investment in Haryana.
Mr Ralf Heckner said that Haryana is one of the five States in India where the Swiss Companies including Nestle have established their businesses. He said that 10 per cent business of Swiss Companies is in Haryana and conveyed thanks on behalf of Swiss companies based in Haryana for all the support provided to them and added that the country is looking forward to further expanding its business in Haryana in the time to come. At present, 34 Swiss companies have set their base in the State providing employment to about 16,600 people, he added. He said that Switzerland with a population of 8.5 million is one of the biggest investors in India.
While counting on the achievements of the present State Government headed by Chief Minister, Mr Manohar Lal, Mr Ralf Heckner said that Haryana is a leading State in the country in many spheres. The State has also performed well in terms of Ease of Doing Business (EODB) rankings as it is ahead of many other States in the country in EODB.
Mr Manohar Lal welcomed Mr Ralf Heckner and said that Haryana has a unique locational advantage being adjacent to National Capital Delhi. He said that the State's economy is rising at a rapid pace as compared to other States in the country. The State Government is offering adequate infrastructure facilities including electricity at cheaper rates for the industries to set up their units in Haryana. Apart from this, the State Government has given special emphasis on ensuring transparency in the allotment of land and approving building plans, he added.
He said that besides being one of the largest food grains and milk producer states in the country, Haryana is also giving special emphasis on providing skill training to the youth so as to make them employable. He said that the country's first Skill University has been set up at village Dudhola in district Palwal. He said that as Switzerland has made remarkable progress in the field of skill education, possibilities could be explored for entering into an agreement between the educational institutions of Haryana and that of Switzerland for imparting skill training to the youth of the State. He further said that Haryana has a number of Hotel Management Institutes and similar possibilities could also be explored for imparting training to the youth in the hotel industry.
The Chief Minister said that during the last six years, special emphasis has been given on the use of Information Technology (IT) so as to ensure transparency in the delivery of various services to the people of the State. A unique project namely Parivar Pehchan Patra (PPP) has been implemented in the State to ensure online delievery of benefits of various schemes and programmes to the beneficiary families.
Among those present on this occasion included Chief Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Mr D.S Dhesi, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Mr V. Umashankar, Principal Secretary, Foreign Cooperation Department, Mr Yogendra Chaudhary and Director General and Secretary, Foreign Cooperation Department, Mr Anant Prakash Pandey.